Hi, sorry for the long wait. I had some... issues. I make no promises, but I'll try to be on time. Enjoy
SWEET
Chapter 2
THEY had been working at their desks in the jounin building along with some of the other guys, so Sasuke had no idea how long he'd been at work until he heard a loud tummy rumble from his companion; he did not realise it was lunch until his own tummy rumbled, as if to answer.
"Let's go." That was all he needed to say; as teammates, Team Kakashi had a mental symbiosis- a counter-intuition about the other. They never needed to explain much about their intentions. Even with Sakura, when he pursued a relationship with her, they did not have to have long discussions; they both felt it was more a trial than an actual relationship so when it ended, it ended and there was not big fuss about hurt feelings or the like. The team adjusted to it in both cases and everything between he and Sakura has been as it always is, simple.
They got up and Sasuke proceeded to leave, not looking back to see if Naruto was following; he knew he would.
Naruto watched him leave then turned to others. "Are you guys coming or what?"
Only Ino got up; he knew if the rest of his team was there, they would all get up. However, Yamato and Sai were on a mission, Kakashi was on patrols for the next few days and Sakura was hold-up in her lab doing research for the past few months, only leaving to for her shifts at the hospital and training. He hardly saw her anymore but she'd promised she would make it to lunch even if she could not stay long.
Naruto suddenly felt very lonely waiting for the guys to make up their minds. He wondered briefly, if this was how his Sasuke must feel now that his back in the village? It was obvious the rest of the peers that very lowly of him and that the villagers looked at him as if he were a demon-container. Naruto had organised that all the former rookie nine would all skip work, go out to lunch, and stay away all day on Sasuke's wedding day and give him their support- with the some crude banter, obscene gifts and the odd drink.
He looked around the open-planned office again; "are you guys coming?" this time there was a little more base in his voice.
"Oh, come on guys, you all promised." Ino spoke up. She had grown even more beautiful in the past number of years. Her light curves, extenuated by figure hugging, purple mini-dress and black, thigh-high sandals, her medical pouch slung low on her hip, her thighs were bandaged, disturbing the view of her creamy skin, she carried her weapons pouch on her right and dagger on her left. Yes, Ino was sexy and everything about her was committed to the memories of every male in the village; even her no nonsense, business-like detachment. She was a star performer for every young man's wank-bank, and so, at the sound of her voice all of them perked up.
She looked at her own team. Shikamaru desk faced away from hers but he could feel her stare right through his skull. "What kind of shinobi, do not keep their promises? What kind of men?" She let the last statement hang in the air for a long tense moment.
"Alright god dammit!" Kiba shouted suddenly and everyone simultaneously got up from their seats and made their way out of the office and out of the building.
Sasuke was standing outside wandering if he should go back and see what was keeping the idiot so long when the subject of his thoughts produced himself and with him: a flood of humanity and one monstrous white dog.
'Are all of them coming to lunch with us?' He thought to himself and was about to voice his thoughts when he was interrupted.
"Come on, bastard, stop lagging behind." Naruto's voiced gruffly in a sort of half nervous chuckle.
The first thing Sasuke realised was that they were not walking the direction of Ichiroku's; the next was that everyone seemed to know where they were going except him. Even Ino was in on it, he surmised as he surreptitiously ogled the blond that walked between her overly-protective teammates. When they turned the corner, he recognised the place from the occasional days the team went out to eat without Naruto, and the few dates he'd had with Sakura.
There were a few deep-fry and sushi stalls, hole-in-the-wall bars, teppanyaki and hibachi places all together forming- what the village called- the Kenpai District. The vibrant colours and scents of spice and meat stretched the hole in his stomach as they walked by. When they stopped, Sasuke's suspicion grew, now usually he'd have gotten angry, but his need to eat betrayed him and he felt an immense elation.
They were going to Zia Apollonia's, a family styles Italian bistro. It was owned by a retired ninja, Jihiro, and his wife, Apollonia.
Sasuke had gone part his life, regarding the world around him through the lens of apathy and not a small amount of disdain. Even eating had just been a way to sate ones hunger, there was no time to taste or enjoy, no desire to ponder mixtures of flavours and wondering what one would fancy for that evenings plate. No, it was 'eat and move on'. Sensible, planned, purposeful, tasteless. That all changed when he came back to the village and Kakashi brought him here.
Kakashi's intent had been to talk to his wayward, former student about negotiating the obstacles that would be in his way now that he was back in the village. However, once the dish was set in front of him, Sasuke could not hear or concentrate any other word besides 'lasagne'. His had take-out from here almost every night since.
It happened as he walked through the door, as it happened evening he came to collect his order. The hush and, then the great laugh coming from the other side of the counter.
"Sasuke-chan!" Apollonia's loud voice carried through the restaurant; apparently, she had some obscure Italian heritage and would go into great detail trying to explain it to many an unsuspecting first time customer.
"Sasuke-chan?" Kiba sniggered under his breathe, Ino's elbow promptly found his ribs.
"Be cool," she spoke evenly.
Sasuke walked forward and greeted her as always with a light nod. He liked the noise and atmosphere of the place. It felt like a home, not his home, their home and they were inviting him in to the hearth and table.
"All of you for lunch then?"
"We're still waiting for a few more people," Naruto spoke, causing Sasuke to panic full force now; 'what the hell is this?' his thoughts were disturbed when Naruto carried on. "We celebrating Sasuke's wedding day!"
"WHAT?!" Both Sasuke and Apollonia shouted at the same time. Sasuke had the sudden urge to punch the Idiot in his stupid face, but before he could react, Apollonia had already latched on him; hands on cheeks, pinching, smacking, kissing, between mumbles of: 'why didn't you say anything?' and, 'you're so young!' and, 'are you in love?' and eventually, 'she's not pregnant is she?'
"By the Gods woman! Control yourself, the boy can't breathe!"
Only then did Apollonia let him go, she spun to regard her husband sternly. Her hands, settling in fists on her hips; "who you shouting at, huh?" she asked icily, the polar opposite of what Sasuke had just experienced.
Sasuke's face was aflame in a mixture of a heavy blush and dark red lipstick; Naruto's treachery temporarily forgotten. The old couple's bickering was strangely muted to him; it was truly the oddest moment, a moment that cannot be accounted for. He just went blank. He just spaced.
It was as if he was looking but not seeing- hearing but not listening. The utter paradox of the moment of pure stillness was broken by the old man ushering them to a long table close to the kitchen.
"So ya finally found a woman willing to marry you… considering?" The old man began. "She's not crazy is she?"
"The jury's still out on that." Naruto answered.
"So it's not Pinkie is it?" At this there was some stifled laughter and some obnoxious snorting.
"No, Sakura and I broke up over a year ago." Sasuke told him, all be it begrudgingly.
"She said she'd stop by during her lunch, so…" Naruto added in awkwardly.
"Could we get menus, please?" Ino asked politely.
"Sure, little lady. Look at you sitting here alone with all the guys; rose among thorns." He chuckled, "just make sure none of them prick you, am I right?" He looked around as all of them groaned and winced.
"God dammit," Shikamaru sighed.
Ino, however, simply smiled softly, "the menus, please."
"Alright," Jihiro threw up his hands in a placating gesture and laughed as he went on his way.
"Jeez, did we have to come here, I just know this place is gonna fucking suck, I mean they have no booths." Kiba continued to grouse, "And they won't let Akamaru in. That's so wrong man."
"Shut up will you," Naruto snapped, "you so determined to suck the fun outta everything. And what's so wrong with a normal fucking table, huh? God, we can't take you anywhere."
"Did I just step into the twilight zone?" Sakura's droll voice sounded and the group noted her making her making her way to them, Hinata, in her wake; both girls clad in scrubs. "I mean, it's like the pot calling the kettle black." Behind her Hinata giggled softly. She bent over and hugged Naruto over his shoulders and continued; "besides, the food here is great." She squeezed Sasuke on the shoulder and kissed him on the head, as she made her way past him, he reciprocated by cupping her hand briefly. She went to sit on one of the two empty seats between Kiba and Shino- who was being particularly quiet- and Hinata sat next to her.
"We can't stay long," Hinata explained, "we both had doubles and only have two hours before our next shifts start."
"Did something happen?" asked Naruto, "why do they have you working so hard."
"No not in particular," Sakura answered quickly, "but it's- you know- a hospital;" she added with no small amount of sarcasm, now Naruto was scowling and Kiba was once again sniggering.
"Geez Sakura, that was uncalled for."
"Well don't piss about it;" retorted Sakura as she folded her arms.
Jihiro picked this time to come back with the menus.
"Hey Pinkie, heard you lost out on our Sasuke over here." Sakura's mouth fell open and she was about to say something when the old man interjected; "now, don't worry; by the looks of things, I'd say there's plenty of other fish in the sea, am I right." He waggled his eyebrows in a leering gesture.
As if to answer Sakura's eyebrow twitched too, but for a completely different reason.
However, before the situation could explode, Sasuke spoke. "Anisette and glasses, we'll start with Mozzarella en Carrozza and marinara sauce, sweet on the garlic, extra basil and olives on the side."
"Comin' right up;" and the old man was gone before they knew it.
"Wow, Sasuke-san, you really know this Italian stuff;" spoke Hinata with a smile, a light blush staining her cheeks; "the most I've had is pizza, but I haven't seen any point to the rest, I'm afraid."
Sasuke was still stuck on the fact that she changed the honorific from 'kun' to 'san', that he did not realise he was staring directly at her.
"Sasuke-san?" she asked quietly, positively vermilion under the scrutiny of Sasuke's gaze, but her voice seemed to knock him out of his musings.
"They use lots of cheese and tomato, it really is very good." He answered weakly.
"Weird;" Shikamaru once again spoke under his breathe.
"His got a thing for tomatoes," Sakura told them like it was some kind of state secret she was divulging, "you have to see him slice them… he has a way he does it;" she would have continued but she was interrupted by Sasuke and his emphatic silence.
The smell of melting cheese filled the air and Jihiro was back with their Anisette. The almost purple drink was opaque in the clear glass jug it was served in, the liquid swished heavily into each glass as Jihiro filled them and the rank aroma of anise seed and age old alcohol seemed a tangible spirit hanging hotly over the table. "This is Apollonia's family secret recipe, she gave me this one day while we were still dating and I woke up a week later and we were married," he laughed gruffly, "anyway, it's called Anisette de la Bacchanalia, the name's sort of self-explanatory, so sip slow."
They each took a tentative sip and decided they could handle it but would be careful.
"So," Kiba spoke up, "I'm gonna ask the question nobody else has the balls to ask. What's her name?" Everyone focused their attention on Sasuke, but not for long, Naruto suddenly found his lap very interesting and Sakura knocked her drink back quickly and refilled her glass.
"'Kay, so we're getting nothing outa you three huh? Well, that's fine; it won't be a secret for long. After all, we are shinobi." He smiled smugly.
It was not a threat, it was inevitable that everyone would find out, but Sasuke could not help feeling like this was something he had to control.
"Then let things take their time. She's a civilian, I don't won't her suddenly bombarded with… everything."
He might have said it too harshly, as there was a silence after he spoke. Fortunately, the food arrived then.
"Grilled cheese with all the sides. Anything else?"
"Yeah, the usual."
"Penne a la Vodka," Sakura ordered quickly.
"Spaghetti bolognaise," ordered Naruto.
"I'll have the same," said Ino; Jihiro took down all their orders now and all questions about Sasuke's wife was forgotten for the moment.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ino wiggled in her seat seeming trying to get something out of her weapons pouch. It took a moment but she produced a card and handed it across the table to Sasuke. "It's from us;" by 'us' she meant her team, but he was sure Chouji and Shikamaru had nothing to do with getting him anything.
His suspicion was further aided by Shikamaru's sigh and Chouji looking up in confusion, his mouth full on starters.
"You didn't have to." Sasuke could feel the insistent gazes on him; "but thanks."
"It was nothing." Shikamaru answered, Sasuke felt that to be his most sincere sentiment. Sasuke inspected the card, the front was a black and white picture of a bride and groom wedding cake decorations and the inside read: 'Congratulations on tying the knot' and 'Ino-Shika-Chou' signed on the bottom.
After that the table broke off into smaller more comfortable conversations, with the few outbursts from either Naruto or Kiba. Jihiro and Apollonia soon returned with their food: Lasagne, for the guest of honour; Penne a la Vodka, for Pinkie; Spaghetti Bolognaise, for the blonds; Pork and Truffle Risotto, for the Lady Hyuga, Eggplant Parmesan, for beetle boy; Sausage stuffed Cannelloni's with peppers and Marinara sauce, for the dog boy; the house veal with gravy and bread, for the Nara; and Spaghetti Napoletana with ten extra-large meat balls and a Roma-style steak, for big red. "Would you like anything else?" they asked once more, some asked for more drinks, others said they were fine.
Sasuke, took a deep breathe, inhaling the mouth-watering aroma of the food in front of him. He chanced a glance around the table and saw everyone engrossed with their meals and sighed in relaxation. "Itadakimasu," he said quietly and dug in.
Lunch carried on without any more strange anomalies, and soon it was time for Sakura and Hinata to go back to the hospital.
"We must to go, unfortunately." Hinata spoke as she got up. "Congratulations, once again Sasuke-san." Sasuke had the good sense to give a swift nod in acknowledgement this time.
Sakura slowly staggered from her own seat swaying a little before righting herself and stretching; "ah, work: the everlasting buzz kill." She said somewhat tiredly. She kissed both her boys on the forehead before bidding them all good day and leaving with Hinata.
Shikamaru gave them a long lazy look behind his cigarette, seeing (as usual) what nobody else did.
The rest of them decided to make a day of it and ordered dessert, Sasuke settled for a beer.
As the rest of his party sat contently finishing off their sweets his thoughts floated to the shop a couple of blocks away. The same one his new wife was working at, making sugary disasters- not unlike those his colleagues were currently indulging in. He was not even slightly tempted to try one, if he was quite honest with himself (which he was), he was not even slightly tempted to return to his wife's home tonight. The only thought that fortified him was that all men find the married life unbearable- some sooner than others.
Ino left a little before four in the afternoon, to make the graveyard shift at the hospital and the rest of the guys left after her. Kiba was the first, getting up to leave with her. Shino and Chouji were next as they were both training the gennin teams for the up-coming chuunin exams.
The only one still hanging about with Naruto and Sasuke was Shikamaru and he was not very conversational.
He smoked cigarette after cigarette, while sipping too sweet espresso, whenever he was spoken to his answers were concise and clipped or sounds of acknowledgment; none of which was abnormal behaviour for him, so it was not pointed out.
However, while Naruto was on his third beer and forth glass of 'purple absinth'- as the party started calling it- speaking animatedly about something he'd seen on his way back to village after some or other solo mission, the lazy genius decided to voice his thoughts.
"Has something happened to Sakura recently?"
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto, a little thrown by sudden interruption.
"I only mean that, I have not seen her outside work in months and even before that she kept her schedule tight;" he regarded them both for a while, "I'm not a busy body, I find the like too troublesome, but, she seems off."
"Off- how?" Sasuke asked.
"Just off," he took another long, languid drag and exhaled before continuing, "not herself, I guess." He butted his cigarette in the ashtray and got up, "anyway, I gotta get to work."
As he walked out, Kotestu walked in and with a summons for the two of them.
ELSEWHERE, a spread had been set for a guest-of-honour, who had not the decency to send word that he would not be spending his wedding night getting to know his new bride.
These, however, are the things we must bear in life and there is no sense in making mountains out mole heaps when the truth is so understandable and so very elementary fundamental.
Ah, the truth. Such a simple sounding concept, however, the concept must be understood for it cannot be fully communicated and the way we understand the concept is by experiences- as in all things. And the truth here is that, to get married both parties should at least be acquainted with each other. It takes no higher thinking to know that much.
Yet, such are our burdens: duty to clan, duty to village.
Reina truly hoped that all of this was the best decision for all involved. As she sat looking out at the night from her dark bedroom, she held in her hand the austere ring her new husband put on her finger that morning. Pastoral was name for it, it was spared of all floweriness and fanfare; just a solid gold circle with no… objections. So perfectly circular and sure it was, as if to say, there are no limitations.
Perhaps all this will just work itself out. 'Now, if only he'd come home.'